Mexicans Put Pride On Parade In Loop

As thousands of red, green and white flags flapped in the air and similarly colored floats rolled past, Arthur Velasquez raised his arms and smiled. ``For the Mexican community, this is it,`` he said.

``It`` was a throng of people standing four deep along Dearborn Street on Saturday for a parade in honor of the 177th anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain.

``La Bamba,`` the song made popular by Ritchie Valens and by the recent movie of the same name, boomed through speakers anchored to floats, while dancers on board gyrated in brightly colored costumes and shouted, ``Viva Mexico!`` In all, 130 floats, bands and marching groups trooped past 250,000 people, said Velasquez, the parade`s chairman.

``I like this because it`s something they do in Mexico, too,`` said Maria Pasillas, 23, of the Pilsen community. ``Some people don`t have the chance to go there, so they celebrate here.``

The parade began a celebration spanning several days that will feature dinners, concerts, dances and another parade Sunday through Pilsen and the Little Village area. The festivities culminate Tuesday, officially considered Mexican Independence Day.

Velasquez pointed out that Mexican-Americans were not the only participants in the celebration, as evidenced by the Puerto Ricans, blacks, Irish (the Chicago Police Department`s Emerald Society Band, complete with kilts and bagpipes) and tourists of all ethnic colorations who filled out the lengthy promenade.

Saul Medina, 22, who stood statuelike dressed as an Aztec chieftain on the float sponsored by a tortilla company, said the parade was ``the biggest day of the year`` for Mexican-Americans.

Nearby, Gabriel Gallegos, a 19-year-old from the Northwest Side, said the parade through the Loop was a great source of pride for the city`s mushrooming Mexican-American population.

``I don`t know about the Hispanic community, but for Mexicans, this is a big deal,`` he said. ``There`s a lot of pride in our country, as evidenced by this.``

School board member George Munoz said the celebration was similar to the 4th of July for Mexican-Americans. ``But the underlying benefit of this is that its held downtown,`` he said.

Munoz said that the exposure from the parade helped Mexicans-Americans assimilate into the general population.

``It makes them feel like celebrations like this are important to all Chicagoans,`` he said. ``I`ve seen a lot more kids, a lot more people from the community, than I saw last year. It bodes well for Chicago.``